Persuasive Messaging: Time for a Rhyme

Of course you do. And not just because it helped set murderer O.J. Simpson free. You remember it because it rhymes.

It’s not surprising that rhyming statements are easier to remember than non-rhyming ones. But what is surprising is that they’re actually more persuasive. Johnnie Cochran knew exactly what he was doing.

And so did the authors of:

You’ll wonder where the yellow went — when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

Gillette: The best a man can get

Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is

Moore in four

Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven

We will sell no wine before its time

Loose lips sink ships

In one study,* researchers compared the perceived truthfulness of rhyming vs similar non-rhyming statements. For example: